Soldier 76 Legacy
by Winter Hawk95
Summary: What if instead of being frozen for nearly 10 years, Mei froze for 40 and missed Winston's recall? What if while Mei slept, Overwatch fell to a worse state than before? Soldier 76 recognized Overwatch's grim future after the recall. So he gave the world hope. He gave the world his son Gavin Morrison. Join him as he discovers his purpose, fixes Overwatch, and finds possible love.
1. Chapter 1

_**Soldier 76 Legacy**_

 _ **Prologue**_

* * *

Date: January 28th, 2105

Time: 2:21 AM

Location: Seattle, WA

Where I come from, shadows pour like rain. Almost no matter where I go, the same haunting actions I committed during my life as a man follow and attempt to weigh me down. The night is when I am at my worst. Sometimes I struggle to hold my breath.

I am nobody. I technically do not exist. Every shred of evidence that shows I am alive is extinct. The only thing I guess shows I am human right now is my birthname given to me by my biological parents. My name is the only thing convincing myself I have a purpose in this world. Unfortunately, my purpose is foreign to me. I lived in this world for 28 years without truly knowing who I am. I travel from place to place in this dark world finding out who I am. Trails always end cold or rather, there was never any shred of evidence in the first place. What is odd is I never stop searching. No matter how truly fucked up a situation has become, I never stop. Call me a fool, I will not care. I already partially died when I was 20.

I spend my nights wandering as a whisper lost upon wind. My "home" if you can call it that resides in Seattle Washington. An abandoned house is where I go to rest after countless sleepless nights wandering with no goal in mind.

Occasionally, I am considered a vigilante in the eyes of those who gaze upon me. Crimes spread far and wide. When authorities are unable to reach out those crimes, I am almost always the one who stops them. Especially if innocent people's lives are threatened. I never know why I help them. I just instinctively charge, save those who need it, and possibly kill the ones who are too much of a threat. I do not wander the world fighting for justice. I just simply do what I believe is the right thing to do. Even if it means putting more blood on my bloodstained hands, I continue fighting. Omnics and Humans are the same in my eyes. There is no superior being, just corruption when one goes on the wrong path.

This has been my life for the past 8 years.

My name is Gavin Morrison. I am the son of the late Jack Morrison, the leader of Overwatch. Like father like son, I fight in the shadows. My father's purpose was finding out who destroyed Overwatch and kill them.

As I follow my father's footsteps wielding my own pulse rifle, I aid him even in his death finding the truth behind Overwatch's downfall. At the same time, I fight to learn why I was put into this world and learn who I am.

The path to self-discovery all began when I found a faint signal of life in the abandoned Watchpoint: Antarctica.

 _ **CH. 1**_

Watchpoint: Antarctica was a place I never expected to find signs of life. This watchpoint has been abandoned for almost 40 years. A massive polar storm hit the station. My father explained to me in the past this was an Overwatch research facility dedicated towards climate anomalies. A team of researchers stationed here all lost their lives due to the polar storm. To be honest, the thought of researchers studying climate anomalies and losing their lives due to a polar storm is brutally ironic.

I traveled through deep snow bundled in thick padded clothing in a tucker sno cat. As I drove, thoughts of bewilderment kept on crossing my mind. I scanned Watchpoint: Antarctica multiple times. Not once I have I ever picked up even the faintest signs of life in that location. Nearly two weeks ago, I discovered that faint sign of life. At first, I simply assumed a researcher was just merely passing by. However, that sign did not move even one inch from its location. After one week passed, I finally gave in decided to investigate. Even after a second week of traveling took place starting from Seattle, that same sign of life still has not moved. I know it is the same sign of life. So, acting nearly on impulse, I am putting on my own investigation on Watchpoint: Antarctica. Curiosity has gotten better of me on how this research facility looks after almost 40 years of abandonment.

Luckily, snow was falling lightly this evening. So finding the watchpoint was hardly a struggle. As I approached the point, I double checked my radar to make sure I have arrived. The radar showed I have indeed made it. So I exited out of the vehicle after grabbing my pulse rifle and backpack filled with supplies needed. I stood up to my full height of 6'0 and began the investigation.

Despite the obvious sign of old age in the technology inside the facility, I was shocked to find fully functioning lights in most rooms. Occasionally I would find rooms without functioning electricity, which is to be expected. I figured the whole facility would be without power. Those parts in the facility without power felt absolutely haunting. Long empty hallways with flickering lights do not add charm in the slightest. Eventually, I came across a dark hallway with doors with plates on them. It was too dark in there for me to see normally and those nameplates were withered and old so reading them without light was impossible. I stopped my search for the signal of life temporarily because something about this hallway piqued my curiosity. I turned on my flashlight and quietly entered the hallway.

All plates on the doors were name plates. There were only six name plates. Thanks to the flashlight, I was able to read the names Adams, MacReady, Opara, Torres, Arrhenius, and finally Mei-Ling Zhou. I chose a random room and entered into Mei-Ling Zhou's room. Just like the hallway, this room had no light. This Mei-Ling Zhou person did however have a fantastic view of the entire facility and an equally fantastic view of aurora lights. I had to shut my flashlight off just for a few seconds in order to get the best view. Once I finished, I continued my search in the room. A desk was resting right below the window I was staring through. This desk was unorganized and research notes were everywhere. I could not help but bring out a small laugh. It was quite obvious this Mei-Ling Zhou loved working here. There was even evidence this Mei deeply cared for the people she worked with. On top of the research notes, there was a journal. I picked it up and read the first page.

"A little bit about me: my name is Mei (yes, that Mei!), and I specialize in abnormal climate phenomena and their effects on different ecosystems around the world. I know that sounds really boring, but I'll do my best to make it entertaining!"

So much of this 'Mei' person's personality was put into those few sentences. I could help but smile. After putting the journal down, I also found and picked up a group portrait of six people in the photo. I assumed they were the researchers who lost their lives due to the polar storm.

Sadness took over as I saw how happy they all were together just doing what they enjoy. They all lost their lives at such a young age. They all do not seem much older than I. I gave the fallen researchers a moment of silence to pray they all rest in peace before doing anything else.

I was somewhat compelled to take the photo. Mainly so I could give the team of researchers at least a taste of a proper burial. I put the photo in my bag and continued my search. Eventually, the search took me down to a room labeled the "Cryo Lab." I was somewhat confused what that meant but when I opened the door, my confusion quickly disappeared. My recent question was answered as I saw several cryostasis pods in the room.

"Oh my god." I said in a low voice filled with disbelief. I became speechless. The entire team at Watchpoint: Antarctica put themselves in cryo sleep. Without thinking, I charged towards the nearest cryostasis pod. It had the name Adams on the front. I wiped down some snow covering the window on the pod and it revealed a man's face deep in what appears to be hibernation. I wasted no time to attempting to shut down the cryostasis pod to allow the man to explore the world once more. Unfortunately, right above the control panel on the side of the pod was a heart rate monitor that showed no heart beat on Adams. That heart rate monitor stopped me dead in my tracks. I ended up letting my excitement get the better of me.

I hesitantly looked around the rest of the room. I counted 5 cryopods including Adams. All heart rate monitors showed the exact same thing. The team members were all dead. The intense polar storm took their lives. There were a couple windows and some large holes in the walls. The massive amounts of snow and wind messed with the cryopods. One cryopod out of the five had its front door mangled allowing the scientist Torres to meet with the worst death. His frozen corpse was nearly a skeleton. I assumed Torres was actually awake when he died.

I kept a strong face. On the inside, I wished I could have save them. I wanted them all to awaken and allow them to pick up where they left off in life. I faced the harsh reality none of them will be wake up ever again. Distraught, I exited out the room.

*bzzzt, bzzzt*

I stopped after feeling my radar vibrate like fucking mental in my coat pocket. When I looked at the screen, it showed I was insanely close to the sign of life. What confused me was the fact the sign of life is in the cryo lab. I just witnessed all 5 dead scientists in the lab. I confirmed their deaths. Then out of nowhere, it hit me.

"Mei-Ling Zhou."

I sprinted back into the cryo lab. I searched furiously and counted the cryopods again to only get 5. I was confused yet again. Where is the 6th cryopod? There is no way there would be more people than cryopods. It would seem more safe to have exactly the right amount. The radar showed me to go to the very end of the lab and run into a large pile of snow. When I got to the snow pile, the radar went even more wild.

I instantly knew what was behind this snow pile and wasted no time in wiping down all the snow. What the snow was covering confirmed my suspicions.

Sure enough, the 6th cryopod was right in front of me with a young woman inside who I assumed was Mei-Ling Zhou. Unlike the previous 5 cryopods, this cryopod's heart rate monitor showed a faint heartbeat. Mei-Ling Zhou is alive and I will do everything I can to make sure she gets out alive.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. I am writing the second chapter as you are reading this right now. I apologize for this chapter being short. I did not want to drag on introductions for too long. The second chapter will be longer.**

 **Just to give everyone a head's up, I just guessed present time Overwatch in the game is 2075. It said it takes place somewhere in the 2070's so I just decided on a random point around that time frame and made that the overall year of the game. I know it is not the official year. So this fanfic takes place 30 years after the game. Hopes that avoid confusion. If there are any other questions you have for me, please do not be afraid to DM me. I do not bite xD. I will answer your question to the best of my ability.**

 **Any constructive criticism is welcome. Please DM me or comment if you do. Same goes for questions and comments. I am very much looking forward to how this turns out. Thanks a bunch for reading.**

 **Have a good one,**

 **Winter Hawk**


	2. Chapter 2

_**CH. 2**_

* * *

I wasted no time. Mei was dying. The cryopod was failing to keep her alive. Years of cold, harsh weather finally got the better of the cryopod. One misstep will cost Mei's life.

The controls were something I could work with. I still handled the process delicately at the same time. I tried hard not to let personal emotions cloud my rational thinking. Finally, after what felt like several hours passing by, I finally set all the necessary controls needed to wake her up from cryo sleep safely. I smashed a finger onto the release button to wake her up.

…

I waited but nothing happened. I pressed the release button once again. Nothing happened. After furiously smashing the release button several more times, I noticed out of all the buttons on the control panel, the release button was the unfortunate button frozen in place. I smashed it hard one more without any effect. I could not get that button to move. As if that was not bad enough, a small alarm went off on the cryopod. At this point, I began to panic. Mei was inches away from death. Brutal weather conditions pushed the cryopod to its limits. It was shutting down and if it shuts down, it will cease providing oxygen for Mei. Furious button mashing took place desperately hoping that button will unfreeze. All efforts were futile.

I never took my eyes off the heart rate monitor watching that one single beat grow smaller and smaller at an agonizingly slow rate. Oxygen was limited as the cryopod stopped its supply of oxygen.

When Mei seemed to be on her last breath, I stopped mashing the frozen release button and decided to no longer playing it safe. Playing it safe was no longer an option. I took off my bag and took out a crowbar I stored in there. I jammed the flat end into the door to pry it open. I knew what I was doing was dangerous to a person in cryo sleep. Forcing a person to awaken from cryo sleep comes with a high risk of the person dying due to the shock of temperature change. I know I am in the Antarctic right now, but there is still a massive difference between being in cryo sleep and the Antarctic. Even if the shock does not kill her, the sudden awakening puts massive strain on the heart ultimately weakening it severely or crushing it causing it to stop.

 **(Author's notes: I hardly know anything about cryo sleep. I am just winging it on what I believe happens.)**

The chances of killing Mei in cryo sleep are 90%. This is a method to wake up someone from cryo sleep is never recommended is to be avoided as much as possible. However, under the circumstances Mei is under right now, playing it safe is out of the question.

After much Jamming, I finally wedged the crowbar into the door. Using all the strength I could possibly bring out, I tried prying the door open. My eyes almost never left the heart rate monitor. All my attempts to force open the cryopod were futile. Then once I saw possibly the smallest heartbeat, I snapped. I ended up using strength I never knew I possessed. I used that newfound strength to force the cryopod open and never let up. After much force, I heard a loud hissing noise along with a small alarm. Those noises just made me pry the door open harder. I never stopped and Mei constantly stayed on my mind.

"You better live by the time I am done."

After grunting those words, I finally broke the door out of its locks. The sudden force of the door opening caused it to fall off completely and rip itself apart from the cryopod. There was now nothing in my way to stop me from rescuing Mei. I picked up Mei and carried her over my shoulder using the fireman's carry. I rushed as fast as I could back to my tucker sno cat. There is a bed in it so that is where Mei will be resting for the time being. Not once did I stop for any reason. My goal was keeping Mei alive and well. There is not a chance in hell am I going to allow Mei to die.

Finally, after much back tracking and nearly getting lost along the vast research facility, my tucker sno cat was within sight. I shoved the research facility's doors out of the way and did the same with my vehicle. The moment I arrived inside, I let her rest comfortably on the bed on her back. Two fingers were placed on Mei's neck furiously searching for a pulse. I even put an ear on her chest listening for a heartbeat. My eyes went wide when my ear miraculously picked up the faintest heart beat a human could muster. I wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but deep down I knew I cannot even afford that now.

The first thing I did was turn was turn the vehicle on and get plenty of heat going. Residue of ice was on Mei's skin and clothing due to the rushed cryo sleep awakening. So, my next step was stripping Mei of her clothes covered with residue of ice. Her thick parka jacket had the most ice on her so I took that off first. I had to strip her of her boots, gloves, and even her glasses. I stripped her until she only had her blue tank top and blue pants. I placed her clothes on the otherside of the vehicle and placed her glasses on the small table by the bed. I quickly took off my own parka jacket and placed it on Mei. Not even there did I stop moving. I put the bed's blanket over her body along with two more thick blankets. One was in my back pack and the second one was stored in the back. Also from my back pack I pulled out a portable heater. I placed that on the table near the bed and let the heat slowly melt the ice on her face.

I unfortunately do not have the proper tools necessary to bring a person safely out of cryo sleep. I am forced to improvise. It could not be helped in my opinion. I had to keep on convincing myself playing the process safe will cost her life.

The final thing I did was get her a glass of water and a bagel and placed it almost on the table by her bed. My eyes kept their gaze on Mei's face. I watched that ice melt off her face slowly as each second passed by. Finally, after 40 minutes passing by, the ice on her face melted. However, her face was still pale as a ghost and she was having difficulty breathing.

I do not have anything in the vehicle to help give her oxygen so I had to compromise and take off my tactical visor mask which revealed my brown eyes and facial hair stubble. It is no oxygen mask but I know this helps ragged breathing relax. I placed my visor mask on Mei's face praying that helps with her breathing. After all that, there was nothing more I could do except wait. Everything I could possibly do to improve Mei's condition was being used on her at once. All I could do was wait. I was fidgeting uncontrollably, but I waited. After another long hour, I moved the mask slowly to find not only her breathing returning to normal but her once deathly pale skin was returning in color. I even placed my ear back on her chest to feel slightly warmer skin and to listen to a slightly louder heartbeat. I finally breathed my long overdue sigh of relief. I placed the mask back on her face and sat down in the driver's seat of the vehicle and adjusted the rearview mirror to where I could watch her constantly until she woke up.

I checked the time on my vehicle's clock. It showed me 4:41 AM. Truth was I am in disbelief nearly five hours have already passed by. I arrived at Watchpoint: Antarctica just 15 minutes after midnight. After much exploring, learning more about the watchpoint's history and its residents, and frantically warming Mei up from cryo freeze, I was ultimately tired. I struggled to stay awake. I refused to sleep while Mei was at her most vulnerable. Especially after her near death experience. I am staying awake so I can greet her as soon as she wakes up. I kept on fighting a losing battle all the way till 6:00 AM.

I refuse to go to sleep, I refuse to go to sleep, I refuse to go… to sleep, I … refuse to go… to sleep, I… refuse… to go…

 _Time Skip: 5 hours_

My eyes slowly opened from their rest and I quickly noticed I fell fast sleep without my knowing.

"Dammit." I grunted. The second thing I noticed however, was the fact I had a thick blanket on me. I do not remember wrapping a blanket around my body. Then suddenly, it dawned on me.

"Mei." I said in a low voice. This blanket I have on me is one of the three blankets I covered Mei with while she was sleeping.

My eyes shot up to the rearview mirror and what I saw made me smile and laugh very lightly. Mei was awake, sitting up on the bed, wearing my parka jacket, enjoying some tea. Words cannot even begin to express my relieved happiness right now. My crude methods of safely bringing Mei out of Cryosleep became a success. I was loss for words. I rubbed my eyes intensely to make sure I was not dreaming. Sure enough. Mei was still there in my vehicle. I wanted to check up on her and talk to her, but then I noticed her face.

She looked so sad. It was easy for me to realize what she possibly did while I was still asleep. I looked at the time. It showed 11:08 AM. I remembered slipping into a deep sleep at 6:00 AM. Depending on when Mei woke up, she had plenty of time to explore the insides of the once vibrant research facility. I knew judging from the heart-breaking expression on her face, she was well aware of her friend's situations in their own crypods.

So, without hesitating, I got up from the driver's seat to greet Mei and be there for her in her time of need. Mei noticed me getting up as she was sipping on her tea. She greeted me with a smile on her face to hide her sadness.

"Morning sleepy head." Mei said in a calm yet cheerful tone.

"Morning." I said in my usual low voice. I sat on the bed next to Mei. When I sat down, Mei extended an arm and held a second cup of tea in front of me.

"Would you like some?" Mei asked. "It's fresh."

"… Thank you." I said wondering how and where she made tea but I went with it and took a sip. It was delicious. I noticed my portable oven on the ground. It seemed to have been used just recently. So the mystery of where she made the tea is solved. Where she found the materials to make tea was still a mystery. It was safe to assume she found salvageable materials in the facility.

Unfortunately, as soon as I thought about the facility, my mind began racing. As I sipped my tea, I wondered just what exactly to say to Mei. The face of sadness I saw on Mei as I woke up got to me. I did not want that pain to come back. I however also realized there is no point in delaying an inevitable discussion.

"When did you wake up?" I asked hoping to prevent awkward silence. Mei thought for a second before answering.

"Right around 7:00 AM was when I regained consciousness." She explained. "My legs are still feeling weak from just waking up, but I will feel better shortly. It's normal for those just waking up from cryosleep."

"I bet walking on your own with weak legs was somewhat of a pain in the ass." I said joking around. "I am sorry. I was not awake to greet you and help you through the struggle."

"Don't worry. You have done more than enough. Your valiant efforts meant a lot to me." Mei said that last sentence with her usual smile. If I must be honest, Mei has a very nice smile. I hope she never loses it.

I was curious what Mei meant by 'I have done more than enough' after I apologized. It clicked in my mind just seconds later what she meant.

"… How much do you know Mei?" I asked after an inaudible deep breath. I do not wish to see Mei upset, but her eyes showed she needs to get her emotions off her chest. She wanted another living human to let her rest on their shoulder in her time of need.

"… I am the only survivor, my cryopod nearly malfunctioned and killed me, and I have been in cryosleep for many years after learning how worn out the entire watchpoint has become." Mei had a faint tone of sadness in her voice as she spoke.

"When did you enter cryosleep? What year was it when you entered hibernation?"

"Early January during the year 2066." Mei then looked at me with worried eyes. "What year is it now?"

"… It's February 13th, 2105." I said hesitantly. Mei was visibly shocked to find out she has been in cryosleep for almost 40 years. Cannot say I blame her. I would be devastated myself if I was in her situation.

"It was only supposed to be for a few months." Mei said sadly. "I was only supposed to be frozen for a few months. Overwatch was supposed to come rescue us."

"…" At this point, I choked. Mei not only lost all her friends but she was in a sense abandoned from the world. Now I must break the news Overwatch is a distant memory. A distant broken memory of a team that has been disbanded and been branded as illegal.

"… Are you a member of Overwatch?" Mei asked with desperation in her voice despite putting on a brave face. I however knew Mei knows I am not a member of Overwatch. I was dangerously close to lying and telling her I am indeed a member. I stopped myself from lying because Mei would not appreciate me lying to her when she is currently in distress.

"No… I am not a member of Overwatch." Mei's eyes showed she understood. "Overwatch is no more."

"What do you mean?" Mei asked in confusion.

"Overwatch disbanded over 30 years. A lot of controversy surfaced about the group. Despite Overwatch ending the 'omnic crisis' and being hailed as heros, corruption tore it apart, inside and out. Due to the controversy, any Overwatch activity has been branded as illegal activity." I watched Mei's face look more shocked from each word I spoke. I felt bad, but it was for the best to tell the truth.

"…"

In Mei's silence, I wanted to offer any help. I even wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders from behind so I could offer at least some comfort. However, I am an absolute stranger to Mei. I am sure if a stranger wrapped his or her arm around me randomly, I would find it awkward as well. I stopped my arm from moving at the same time I started moving.

"I am truly sorry Mei." I slowly got up and was about to leave so I could give Mei room to herself. She just learned numerous pieces of bad news all at once. Mei must be devastated and even I knew she needs room.

What happened after I took my first step took me by surprise. Mei grabbed onto the jacket I was wearing to prevent me from leaving.

"… Could you please stay? I would feel better if my hero was next to me." Mei said that last part with a nervous smile. I responded with my own smile and nod as I sat back down next to Mei. She kept her shy smile on her face as I sat down.

"I'm sorry." Mei blurted.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked in confusion.

"It's a habit. I say sorry way more than I should. Plus, I am being somewhat selfish for making you stay. Especially to a stranger I just met a couple hours ago."

"… Do not worry. You have my permission to be at least a little selfish." I said with my small smile still on my face.

"Thank you." Mei said restoring her own smile. "Speaking of strangers, what is your name? You already know mine."

"… My name is Gavin Morrison. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mei-Ling Zhou."

After introductions and allowing Mei to rest properly, Mei and I walked back into the worn-down facility (Properly clothed in our parka jackets). Mei told me she needed to grab a few things from her office before leaving. Mei's office was the exact same room that I found the group portrait of her and the entire research team at. When we get back to the tucker sno cat, I will return the photo to her.

Mei just mainly retrieved old journals, notes, and what appeared to be mementos. I told her she could bring as much salvageable items as she wanted for the trip. Telling her that made her happy. I offered to help carry her stuff at least a few times but she told me not to worry each time I asked. Thus, I backed off and allowed her to do her own thing.

She put everything she collected from her office/room into an old bag she also found in her room and seemed ready to go.

"Got everything you need?" Mei nodded. "Are you sure? Once we leave, I do not see us coming back here again. Or at least for a long time. So please double check your bag for me." Mei checked her bag one more time just like I wanted her to. At one point as she checked her bag, her eyes widened a bit.

"I'm sorry." Mei said as she turned back to her desk and searched frantically once more.

I laughed to myself because I knew this would happen. However, my laugh quickly shut down as I saw the very worried look on her face. At this point, I got worried as well.

"What's wrong? What are you looking for?" I asked since I became worried.

"Where is it?" Mei asked to herself. "I know it should be here. It's impossible otherwise. I never removed it from its spot once."

"What are you talking about?" At this point, I moved closer to Mei. Mei was searching the desk inside and out. She even removed everything from the desk drawers and tossed them behind her and at me. She even nearly threw a book at my face which I caught.

"Sorry." Mei said once again for a brief second before continuing to make an even bigger mess in the already messy room.

"Mei, what are you looking for?"

Mei just ignored me once again and this time pulled the desk forward so she could look behind it. After she gave the area behind the desk a good thorough look, she slumped over in defeat.

"… Figures I would lose it. There's no way it would stay in one place after almost 40 years passing by."

"What are you looking for?" I asked for the fourth time. However, Mei just picked up her bag said with a fake smile,

"It doesn't matter. I bet it got lost in the blizzard years ago. I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

Right away I knew those words were a load of bullshit.

"Mei, what did you lose? Tell me what you lost and we will look for it. After the fiasco you gave off to me of nearly destroying your desk, I am definitely helping you."

"… If it's not on my desk then it's gone for good. There's nothing I can do about it."

I sighed in defeat. Perhaps it was best not to push it.

"If you believe you are ready, then I say it's high time we make our way out of here." I said hesitantly. Mei immediately started walking and left the room. I followed not long after. The walk back to the sno cat was quiet much to my dismay. Luckily the walk was short. I walked to the driver's seat and right after I opened the door, I saw at the corner of my eye Mei giving off one last look to the research facility that was practically her home at one point. I did not say anything to stop her. I know how it feels to lose your home all too well. I gave her as much time as she needed.

Earlier Mei told me she is ready to leave. She explained to me what really happened the day of the intense polar storm. The catastrophic polar storm cut all their connection from the outside world. The storm damaged their facility to the point where the scientists were stranded. All supplies were running low so as a last-ditch effort, the team made the difficult decision to enter cryostasis so they could survive until rescues came. Just as Mei explained earlier, they only planned to enter cryostasis for just a few months.

40 years later, I finally come around and rescue the only survivor. Despite their best efforts, five out of six scientists lost their lives. The polar storm reached them without most of them knowing. Mei is very lucky. She was lucky to avoid the storm all together which allowed me to rescue her inches away from death and allow her to walk the world once more.

What is also heartbreaking is the fact she has spent more time in cryosleep than she has been awake. Mei told me when she first went into hibernation, she was only 30. That is only two years older than what I am. What is miraculous is the fact Mei has not aged physically by a single day during her time in cryostasis. So physically, she is still 30 years old. She has obtained a second chance to live her entire natural life before passing on from natural causes. That is a chance I believe Mei deserves.

Mei finished her last look at Watchpoint: Antarctica and entered the vehicle and sat in the passenger's seat. I sat in the driver's seat after Mei sat down. Mei once more had a look of sadness on her face.

"Let me know if you need someone to talk to. I am a good listener." I said in a comforting voice.

"I appreciate that a lot. Thank you Gavin." Mei said with a smile.

I gave off my own smile in response and turned on the tucker sno cat. Just as I was about to move, my eyes found their attention to my backpack which was visible in the rear-view mirror. A certain curiosity crossed my mind once I looked at my backpack.

"Is everything alright?" Mei asked as she saw me furrow my brow as I thought.

"… Yeah." I said that as I got up from my seat. I walked up to my backpack with Mei watching me. After much searching, I pulled out the group portrait of the six scientists including Mei I found earlier and realized I found this on Mei's desk and took it before I found her in cryostasis. Originally, I planned to use this to possibly give the entire group of scientists somewhat of a proper burial. Plans changed when an idea crossed my mind.

"Mei, by any chance was this group portrait what you were looking for in your room?" I asked as I turned around to show Mei the picture.

Mei did not say anything. She just widened her eyes and had a smile quickly growing larger as she got up from the passenger's seat, ran up to me, and gave me a tight hug.

"Yes! Thank you so much Gavin." Mei said as she almost cried tears of happiness. "I thought it was gone forever from the storm. Where did you find it?"

Mei kept her arms wrapped around me for a good 10-15 seconds before realizing what she was doing and quickly backed off before I could do anything from the surprise hug. Truth was this sudden show of affection was unexpected. I am not used to this kind of affection so I froze in place.

"I'm sorry." Mei explained as she turned red. "That was uncalled for. Please forgive me."

"…" I was speechless. Due to me not being used to sudden physical affection. I had conflicted feelings right now. However, I must admit, it gave me a nice feeling in the end. Perhaps Mei could quickly pick up my discomfort.

"Where did you find the photo?" Mei asked again but this time with her face being red.

"Would you believe me if I told you that photo has been on your desk for the last 40 years?" I explained with a light laugh. Mei looked at me with disbelief. However, another question arose in her mind.

"Why did you have the photo? What were you using it for?"

"… I'll explain later." I said as I walked back to the driver's seat. I realized talking about death is not a good time right now. Mei let it slide easily because she was so happy about retrieving the photo she searched for. I assumed it was the most important item to her from the entire facility.

"This means so much to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." Mei said as she hugged the photo. "Okay, now I know I am ready to leave."

This time, I believed her. I saw the genuine excitement in her smile as she said those words. She joined me as she sat in the passenger's seat still looking at the photo.

"I bet they were all great people." I said as I turned on the vehicle.

"Yeah! You bet they were all great."

Mei explained multiple different stories of her time at Watchpoint: Antarctica. It was interesting to learn her stories. Even learning her studies as a climatologist was fascinating. I kept on letting her talk about herself as we moved. Truth was I enjoyed getting to know her better. At one point, Mei wanted to get to know me. I became quiet at that point. I was unsure what to talk about.

"Gavin, are you sure you're not a member of Overwatch?" Mei asked with curiosity.

"Where did this come from?"

"Well based on first impressions, you're nice, caring, heroic, and you went out of your way to find me and my team based on little information. Plus, you remind me of the other members. How can I not think you're a member of Overwatch?" She said that last part with some excitement. The smile on my face disappeared. Mei easily noticed.

"I am no Hero." I said in a low voice in response to Mei explaining I am heroic. "I am just a wanderer."

Mei was unconvinced.

"It is true I instinctively help those in need, but truth is I do not know how to explain my actions. I just do them. I do not even have a home. I reside in Seattle Washington in an abandoned warehouse from time to time when I am not out and about."

"All alone? No family, no friends, nothing?" Mei asked. I nodded. "Do you ever get lonely? Just being on your own 24/7?"

"… I technically do not exist." I said with a sigh.

"That's not true." Mei said in instant retaliation. "You rescued me, you cared for me, you saved my life for crying out loud. You worked hard just to make sure I was happy and healthy. If you do not exist, I would not be alive right now."

"I do not exist in society's eyes." I further explained. "All evidence that shows 'Gavin Morrison' is alive has been erased. All fingerprints, certificates, anything that shows I am a person is gone. I do not even know why I was put in this world in the first place. I am a wanderer who is trying to find his purpose in life. Truth is, in a sense, I do not even know who I am. I am nothing more than a whisper lost upon wind. It is perhaps better that way."

"Is that even possible?" Mei asked in surprise. "What about your family? Surely your family is there for you."

"…" I was hesitant to speak about family. Truth is that is territory I refuse to cross into.

"…" Mei just waited for a response. She kept on looking at me. Eventually, she got the message and looked the other way.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Mei said apologizing.

"… I may not be a member of Overwatch," I began as I changed the subject. "but I am at least indirectly related to Overwatch." Mei became excited when she heard those words.

"Yay! I knew it. I just knew it. Overwatch came to the rescue after all." Mei said excitedly. I could not help but chuckle lightly to myself as I saw her excitement. I figured I could reveal at least that much about my past to her. She seems trustworthy.

For a while, we ended up moving in silence. No one said a word. Mei felt awkward about the silence. However, I had a sneaking suspicion she had something on her mind. I figured it was best to allow her to muster up the courage and not put her on the spot.

"Hey Gavin." Mei finally said breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" Mei took a deep breath before saying,

"May I join you in your journey?" Mei asked me as brave as she could. Truth was that sudden question caught me off guard. I became shocked.

"I would love to join you in your journey to discover who you are and your purpose."

"… Mei, you are under no obligation to do anything. I was just doing what I believe was the right thing to do." I said as I assumed she was thinking she owed me her life.

"I'm not doing this because I feel obligated." Mei said instantly. "I am doing this because I believe it is the right thing to do." I laughed a little when I heard her steal my line. "Plus maybe, just maybe, I was hoping we could bring back Overwatch together."

"…" I thought hard a long about Mei's propasition. Mei knows all Overwatch activity is illegal so basically what we'd be doing is a near suicide mission. Truth is however, the idea of Mei's proposition brought a genuine smile and light laugh out of me. Her eyes showed she was also deadly serious about helping me in my journey of self-discovery.

"Why the hell not? I would love that."

* * *

 **As promised, the second chapter is much longer than the first chapter. I enjoyed writing this chapter very much. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as well.**

 **All constructive criticism is welcome. Thanks a bunch for the support on this story so far. I will do my best to keep this story alive and strong. Thank you all so much for reading.**

 **Please comment on how I doing so far. I wish to know so I can improve in the future.**

 **Same as last time. do not be afraid to DM me if you have any questions for me. I will always get to your questions ASAP.**

 **Have a good one**

 **Winter Hawk**


	3. Chapter 3

_**CH. 3**_

After one last week of traveling, Mei and I finally arrived at Seattle. It felt odd traveling with Mei. Or rather, it felt odd to not travel alone. Mixed emotions trapped themselves in me as we traveled. I know I agreed to teaming up with Mei without thinking too much, but now I am having second thoughts.

I am not who Mei believes I am. I am no hero. I never have been. I do not exist. Mei disagrees and believes I do exist. Why does she believe I exist? It does not make any sense. I am nobody.

"You gonna open the door?" Mei asked while giggling. Her words snapped me out of my thoughts and brought me back to reality of me being in front of the abandoned warehouse I reside in. My 'home' has remained untouched since I left.

"Sorry." I said to Mei. I placed my hand on the door and a hand scanner appeared right in front of my hand. The hand scanner granted me access to the inside and unlocked the door. Mei had a look of fascination in her eyes. I could not help but smile lightly.

The doors opened and revealed a messy laboratory on the inside. The warehouse was not that huge, but it still contained plenty of space and was two stories tall. The first floor had multitude of electronics all around. Most are finished, but some still needed working on. On the far right, a massive corner desk which was my work space held my most important equipment. It contained nothing but PC equipment. That PC is what was used to locate Mei in the first place.

On the second floor, which was only one room and was visible for everyone to see, was just where I slept which has become rare. Perhaps Mei will find more use for it than I ever will. I have had that mattress for far too long and it is obvious I hardly use it. It practically looks brand new.

"You never told me you had a laboratory." Mei said with excitement in her voice. "Your access to technology is incredible." Mei constantly gazed at everything in the laboratory. She looked like a kid in a candy store. Note to self, Mei needs her own workspace.

Mei picked up a robotic limb and studied the interior and exterior of the robotic limb. She used nearby tools to mess with it somewhat.

"Did you make this?" Mei asked in fascination. "The adapter for the connection in the brain actually might make this feel natural. These fingers could process human nerves if connected to the brain properly. You just need the right brain chip to render all its power."

"… That is actually a failure." I explained to Mei. "The endoskeleton keeps locking its movements no matter what I do. I even tried reversing the polarity after running out of ideas. Nothing works. I am planning on using it for spare parts soon."

"…" Mei studied the arm for a bit and looked at nearby robotic limbs before asking me, "I would love to use the arm for myself. Would that be alright? Please?"

"Go right ahead. What do you plan on using it for?"

"That's a secret." Mei said with a wink.

I laughed. It was a response I did not see coming from Mei and it was humorous.

"Why do you have so many prosthetic limbs?" Mei asked. "If you don't mind me asking of course."

"… That is a secret for now." I said with a chuckle. Mei stole my lines earlier so I stole hers as payback. Mei knew that right away and chuckled. In all seriousness, there is a reason why I have so many robotic limbs. I am not comfortable explaining that reason yet. Perhaps in the near future, facts shall be revealed depending on how our relationship plays out.

"You really love engineering, don't you? These have so much thought and care put into them."

"If I must be honest, yes I do." I said calmly. "I am a nerd for electrical engineering when I am resting. It helps calm myself down when under stress. Not many people enjoy it as much as I do"

"I am a nerd for the weather as a climatologist so I know the feeling of not being part of the 'in-crowd' among people.

I was about to respond and relate, but I stopped myself before I uttered even a single noise. Instead, I changed the subject.

"I have extra tables you may use for your own workspace if you are interested?" I explained as I took a couple steps away.

"Yeah, that would be great." Mei said excitedly but looked somewhat guilty after those words. "I hope I am not in the way staying here. I'm grateful you are welcoming me into your home. I just do not wish to be a burden to you."

"No, you are not a burden. Truth is I enjoy your company."

Fuck, I said that last part without thinking. My frustration quickly vanished as I saw Mei's smile as I said that last sentence.

My thoughts and feelings were conflicted. I scolded myself for attempting to get close to Mei. I approached Mei with a smile on my face and friendly invitation to my life. Those feelings of myself I showed Mei are nothing more than lies. There is a reason why I am acting friendly towards Mei.

As I cleaned a couple tables off, my heart and mind clashed constantly. What was I supposed to do? There was something I planned from the very start since I found Mei. What I planned would commence once Mei was asleep. It is a procedure I know will cease any possible relationship between Mei and I. By the time I am done, Mei in a sense will be gone. Or rather, I will be gone.

"Dammit." I slammed a fist on Mei's desk. I almost do not know what to do. My heart and mind will not agree on anything and it frustrates the hell out of me.

I shook my head. Now is not the appropriate time to think about that. I will focus when the time is right. My watch on my hand read 6:08 PM.

"Not too much longer now."

I pushed all conflictions aside and continuing working. I placed one half of the desk (Which was a small table), and pushed it close to my own desk. Before I could get the second part, Mei came around and pushed the second table in place.

"Can't let you do all the work." Mei said with a smile. "It would not feel right."

I was somewhat taken back from this sudden kindness. Something about Mei's eyes help sincerity in them. I cannot describe it. But it gave me a warm feeling I gladly accepted.

As the hours passed on, Mei and I assembled the perfect workspace for her. Well the perfect part is a complete lie. It ended up being just as messy as my desk after she placed all her equipment, notes, and anything else she obtained from Watchpoint Antarctica. Despite having a near 7-foot-wide desk, all her stuff overtook the entire thing along with her own PC computer I assembled for her. When Mei and I realized this, we laughed our asses off. It was interesting to see someone else as unorganized as I was. I legitimately smiled at that thought. Usual smiles around Mei in the past were fake. However, this last smile was real. I am unsure how to explain my reasons for smiling. It just came out without warning.

This montage of events lasted till 1:00 AM. Without even realizing it, Mei drifted off to sleep. I eventually found her sleeping in her chair with her head resting on her new desk. Her face had a peaceful smile on it. I did not want to ruin her rest. Carefully, I wrapped my arms around her and carried her bridal style up the stairs to my bed and laid her down gently without waking her up. I placed a couple blankets over her sleeping body just for good measure. All she had on now was a blue tank top and navy blue pants. It was warm inside for the most part, but winter nights are not the most pleasant in the warehouse. Even if the air was semi-warm. I just did my best to ensure she continues to rest peacefully.

Mei already finds use in my bed more than I ever will. Even one night over is enough to give Mei that honor.

"Rest well Mei." I whispered as I walked down the stairs. "I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy myself."

I continued walking to my desk. On the far left, there were drawers underneath.

"As strange as it sounds, you actually brought out emotions I have not felt in a long time."

I grabbed the one lowest to the ground and pulled it out. At the very bottom, there was a medium sized box.

"You even broke out a legitimate smile out of me after getting to know you the past two weeks. I am not what it appears. However, you proved that wrong numerous times. I actually let my true feelings surface."

I opened up the medium sized box, and pulled out a small vile of green liquid. I quickly closed all applications on my PC and opened up a certain program.

"I missed smiling and laughing. What you have done for me has meant more to me than anyone could imagine. I felt human again."

I started walking back up to my room where Mei was still sleeping. I saw her restful smile still on her face once again. When I saw her face, I stopped momentarily. Something foreign made me lose my composure and hesitate my future actions. Loud heartbeats of fear had to be calmed down before continuing. Believe it or not, I nearly lost my balance at one point.

"Even when you will not remember our time together, my face, or even my voice, I will cherish everything we did together."

I approached the sleeping Mei and stopped just inches away from her sleeping form. I crouched down and began unscrewing the lid of the small vial. I brought the vial to her ear, and poured the liquid into her ear. Usually liquid would not enter the ear and continue to move downward, but this time, it seemed the green substance defied gravity and moved itself all into her ear similar to a water going down a drain. Mei's face twitched slightly and went back to rest immediately after.

I got back up from crouching and walked out the room.

"My life is hell. I stained my hands in blood dozens of times, I live an aimless life, I have sold my soul to the devil, and most important of all, I failed everyone who believed in me and became someone I despise all because I failed them."

I sat back down on my desk and stared at my PC screen. I put in a few commands in the program I set up.

"You are an incredible and smart woman Mei. My life is not a mess you should involve yourself in. You deserve happiness at its finest. You deserve happiness that does not include scum such as myself. You deserve a happier life. I want you to live through your second chance in life. Using your chance to rebuild overwatch with me is a waste. You will be happier if you rebuild overwatch without someone who does not exist."

After inputting a few commands, a small window showed itself.

" _Commence Memory Wipe?: Yes: No:"_

I moved the curser to the yes button. With a heavy breath, I pressed it.

"Goodbye Mei. May you find true happiness in our world."

A second window appeared in front of the first one. This time, it showed what I put into her is charging at a slow pace. It was normal speed for the program, but this time, it felt painfully slow.

 _10%_

I kept my eyes on the blue bar slowly filling up. I waited for Mei's memory to be cleaned of my existence.

 _20%_

Seeing Mei's beautiful smile in my head brought a legitimate smile to my own face. I tried to shake it off but nothing would make it stop.

 _30%_

I wiped dozens of people's minds in the past after I rescued them. Why was I feeling different this time about the memory wipe? I ended up forming a knot in my stomach.

 _50%_

I tried so hard to prevent personal feelings from interfering. What I am doing is for the best. I cannot give in.

 _70%_

I rubbed my eyes in frustration. Perhaps for the first time in my life, I am tired. That is another foreign thought I never thought would cross my mind. Me, actually tired? Then again, this is not the first time Mei has caused me to become tired. Waking her up from cryostasis exhausted the crap out of me. So this should not surprise me.

 _90%_

Thoughts of Mei kept flooding my brain. How much she made me smile, getting to know her better as a person for nearly two weeks after saving her from death, her brown eyes, and even how much she accepted me into her life despite the fact I am a complete stranger to her and I do not exist.

 _"That's not true." Mei said in instant retaliation. "You rescued me, you cared for me, you saved my life for crying out loud. You worked hard just to make sure I was happy and healthy. If you do not exist, I would not be alive right now."_

Without thinking, my right hand zoomed at the screen and pressed the cancel button. I stopped the memory wipe at 99.5%, the absolute last second. Seeing the insanely high number stop was enough to lean back and breath a deep sigh of relief and bury my face in my hands.

It was not until after I removed my hands did realization catch up. For the very first time, the idea of erasing my existence from someone filled me with sadness. If that was not enough to prove to myself I have been pushing Mei away for selfish reasons, the couple tears running down my cheeks say otherwise.

Suddenly, all the people I had rescued and pushed away after erasing their memories all showed themselves in my mind. I erased every trace of their memories that contained anything involving myself. The reason was because they all saw me as a renegade. They feared who I was. So I decided to erase their pain of me. It was better to forget me entirely, rather than fear me.

For unknown reasons, Mei is different. She looked me in the eyes with no fear. She saw the best in me straight from the get go. I was dangerously close to losing the one person who has treated me with the most compassion and kindness. No other person has come close to Mei.

I got up from my seat. I am lost for words. How is this possible? Pushing all personal emotions has never been a problem in the past. It has become a necessity in my life in order to ensure what is best for others. My life is a wandering hell. How could I be heartless and decide it is best to allow Mei to possibly experience my true life?

I sat on a chair on the roof of the warehouse and gazed at the night sky pondering my decisions. Could the idea of joining Mei and fixing Overwatch be the right path to go on? Was changing my mind about the memory wipe the correct option? Most important of all, how would Mei react is she knew who I am on the inside? Would she run away just the same as everybody else has? Truth is I cannot even think about the idea of her kind eyes filled with fear and despair. It sends a sickening feeling in my stomach.

My heart and mind continue to conflict with eachother. I do not even know what I want.

"Did you sleep at all last night?" Mei asked breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked up and saw a sunrise peaking over the horizon. I checked my watch, it showed 7:02 AM. Hours passed without my knowledge.

Behind me, Mei had a blanket wrapped around her and was standing at the entrance to the roof.

"I just woke up." I lied. Mei had a look of disbelief at my words.

"Then explain those circles under your eyes." Mei said sternly.

Ouch, she has got me there. She is a sharp one. Mei walked towards me and stood in front of me.

"Gavin, what's wrong?" Mei asked. "Tell me what's on your mind. I wanna know the real you. Not some knock-off Gavin."

At this moment, I became shocked. Mei saw right through my mask. She is the very first person to ever look right through me and know when something is not right about me. I sat in silence for a few, good, long minutes thinking carefully about my answer. Did I hesitate to properly explain? You bet your ass I did.

So to honor Mei's wishes, I dropped everything. With a heavy breath, my tired eyes looked at Mei's for the first time. Mei put a hand over her mouth in shock as I dropped my phony personality I use around people. Truth is I have seen hell. My eyes reveal all if I allow it. I strayed far away from my true emotions for a long time. How Mei alone is able to shatter that barrier baffles me. That was the least of my concerns though. My main concern is Mei's response.

"I am no hero Mei. Most actions I have committed in the past are ones I regret. I dyed my hands in blood years ago. I even had the fucking nerve to betray the trust of everyone who cared for me. I am a worthless piece of shit who does not exist. You think I am still a hero now, wait till you see what kind of life I lead. I guarantee it will not be pretty. I also guarantee you will turn away and only see me as a pointless renegade."

I spoke to Mei in a tone that makes most people run away before I could finish a thought. Her eyes were filled with fear as I predicted.

"Mei, for your own good, turn away and forget everything associated with me. You have a second chance to live your life to the fullest. Wasting your time with a fuck up such as myself is not what I want you to do. My life is over. Part of me died years ago. Please just leave me alone. I do not want you to see what I had to gaze upon more times than I can count."

Without missing a beat, Mei got on her knees in front of me as I sat and wrapped me in a tight hug. Her arms were wrapped around my neck with the sides of our heads touching. This sudden action caught me off guard. Mei gave me the impression of being modest. This hug was proving me wrong. It enveloped me in a warm feeling in my body.

"You are not alone." Mei whispered softly. "You are not worthless. Whatever convinced you to believe you are a fuck up is wrong. Because in my arms right now is a hero. We all regret something. Nobody is perfect. Including myself. Our past does not define our future. Your future is a bright one."

At this point, small tears were threatening to drop. I already cried for the first time in years earlier right after I prevented the memory wipe. Now a second batch of years presented itself. I could not deny it anymore. The reason I stopped myself from wiping Mei's memories was because I do not want Mei to leave. I want to walk beside Mei and legitimately smile again. Most importantly, I now want to become the hero Mei sees me as. She has done so much for me in the span of a short couple weeks it is unbelievable.

I wiped my eyes before Mei released me from her hug so when she saw me it did not look I cried recently.

"I am not perfect either Gavin. Cryosleep was my idea." My ears perked up at the last sentence. "When my team and I were at our worst, I took the initiative and put everyone in cryosleep. We all agreed on this decision because we had no other choice. We weren't ready to leave this world in distress."

I could see sadness and regret in Mei's eyes. Letting down people you care for was a feeling I am all too familiar with. I sat and listened to Mei.

"What happened in your life is your business. I won't pry into anything you do not wish to speak about. Just for future reference though, I am an excellent listener." Mei said that with a smile and I ended up chuckling.

"Someone thinks they are funny. You just stole my lines." I joked. Mei gave off a peace sign and sly grin in victory.

"… There is one thing I feel I should get off my chest." I began with a heavy sigh. "Remember when I said I am indirectly related to Overwatch?" Mei nodded in response. "… What if I were to tell you the leader of Overwatch, Jack Morrison is my late father?"

"I had a feeling." Mei said with a smile. "Not only are you a hero, but you're related to one of the greats. I wanted to ask about that since the name Morrison sounded familiar, but at the same time I did not want to make such assumptions. I'm sorry."

"No, I am the one at fault. I blabbed the name without thinking." I smiled a little bit. "Perhaps in the given situation between us now, it was the right choice to make."

I stood up from my seat so I could look into Mei's eyes easier. This next part was vital and Mei's full attention was required.

"Mei, can I trust you to keep quiet about my family? You must not tell a soul who I am related to. Unless I deem it necessary, your lips must be sealed. This request is an odd one, but it would mean so much to me if you could fulfill this request."

"I promise with all my heart Gavin." Mei said with a reassuring smile. "Your secret is safe with me. Not only am I a great listener, I am excellent at keeping secrets."

"Thank you." I said with a relaxed smile and sigh. Just looking into her eyes were enough to convince me everything will work out for the better.

So, I explained my family relations to Mei. I did not explain everything. Just the parts I felt were deemed necessary. Such important facts were

I spoke a lot about my relation to my father the most. Jack Morrison, my father, was the one who raised me up until his death several years ago. He taught me how to be a man, how to wield heavy weaponry, survival skills, and he taught me honor. For as long as I could remember, my father and I never stayed in one area for very long. We were constantly on the move traveling from place to place. Settling down never happened. I never once had the opportunity to develop long term relationships growing up. I could not afford it.

Our definition was 'quality time' was not filled with usual father, son activities such as catch. We would usually stay side by side in silence. It was unusual to those around us. It was just how we rolled. Truth is, I felt that quality time was exactly what we needed to keep our relationship intact. It was us and us alone. It was surprisingly peaceful a few times. Perhaps my father thought the same way and was able to enjoy his time with me.

My father was also a man I looked up to. He was a rough man, but he showed no hesitation in more than just the battlefield. There is not a day that goes by that I miss him dearly and wish I can go on one last trip with saying a final goodbye. I just hope wherever he is, my father is resting peacefully.

"Such a wonderful and caring father." Mei said with excitement. "During my time at Overwatch before cryostasis, I got to engage in brief conversations with him once or twice. It made me glad he was our leader. I never pictured him to be the fatherly type if I must be honest." Mei laughed a bit after that last sentence.

"You have a point." I said with my own laugh. "At first glance, my father does not seem to be a family man. Fortunately, he has multiple soft spots. He has more kindness than he gives himself credit for. He has old habits during his time as leader in Overwatch that stubbornly stick to him even after years of disbandment. He tries denying that fact, but deep down, he is still a strong leader who only wants what is best for everyone. I could not have asked for a better father in my life."

"May I ask who your mother is?" Mei asked. "I bet she is a lovely lady."

Now this was when I went silent. This was a somewhat tricky question to answer. It is not that I do not want to, I am just not sure how to word this one properly. Mei was quick to notice I was deep in thought.

"Well truth is, I have no idea who my mother is."

Mei was visibly shocked about my response.

"You don't know? How is that possible? Jack Morrison was the one who raised you for years and yet he has not told you once all those years who your mother is? Wait, was Jack not your biological father?"

"… That is what I thought at one point. Although, DNA tests do not lie. I had a perfect match with him. I know Jack is my biological father. I even saved the DNA results to remind me." My words just confused Mei even more.

"Then how do you not know who your mother is? Did your father really keep that information from you?"

"That is pretty much the case. My father was a great dad. He was however somewhat secretive and a quiet man. He did not talk much. At the same time, he always made decisions for good reasons. So there must be a reason why he chose to not tell me who my mother is."

"You still have a right to know." Mei said in complete disagreement. "Is there anything you know that involves your mother? You must know some small details about her."

"… I only know a few true facts about her." I said after much thought. "Two things I know for sure is my mother has brown eyes and pale colored hair."

"Does she also have pale skin like you do?" Mei asked. I shrugged.

"I have no idea about her skin color. Other than brown eyes and pale colored hair, there is only one other thing I know. This is one of the very few details my father explained to me. According to my father, my mother hated fighting. Absolutely hated it. But she fought regardless. She put all personal reasons aside just to fight those who threaten those she care about. She fought to protect so much it was unbelievable."

"Such a powerful woman." Mei said in amazement.

"I agree." I said with a smile. "I do not know her on a personal level. I wish I had the chance to. That will not stop me from admiring her greatly. She is the one who brought me into this world and is the toughest woman I have ever heard of. I bet she would kick my ass no matter how many times I spared against her." Mei laughed in response.

"Is she another reason why you move around everywhere? Are you searching for your mother?" Mei asked.

"… I have no idea if my mother is alive or not." I said in my usual low voice. "My mother had to leave when I was only 2 years old. My father explained she had no choice. Leaving was probably the hardest thing she has ever done in her life. Although, even if the chance of reaching out to my mother are at its absolute lowest, even if the chances of finally meeting my mother are at 0.01%, I will hold onto that chance. I will keep on moving forward I will do everything in my power to ensure I meet the woman who cared for me for the first couple years of my life. Those rare few times my father has talked about my mother were nothing but wonderful things. So how can I not feel obligated?"

"And you called yourself a pointless renegade who does not exist." Mei said with another sly grin. "That is a wonderful goal. A wonderful goal I would be honored to help my hero fulfill."

"… Let's do it. Thank you so much. You have no idea how those words meant to me. I owe you big time." I said with a legitimate excited smile. I felt determined to thrive and succeed. I am so glad I did not wipe Mei's memories of my existence.

"No, you owe me nothing. I am in your debt for saving my life, but I would love to do so much more with you with your permission. I feel great things will happen when I am with you."

Long story short, Mei and I knew what we must do. If we were going to get anything done, we must get out. We must get out in the world and not look back. It is what I should have done from the start. Mei showed me just how much I have restricted myself to accomplish anything. For too long I have hardly done much for myself. Today is the day I push myself to incredible heights. The first step is to leave the one place I have considered to be my 'home'. The warehouse I have somewhat resided in has served its purpose of keeping a roof over my head. It is time to leave for good.

As I sat outside the warehouse near the entrance, I was overwhelmed with a sense of liberation. Perhaps I had a need for emancipation for a long time. For many years, I self-imprisoned myself within my demons and fears. Mei alone was enough to set myself free from an unhappy life. I was finally ready to start a new life.

"You still out there?" Mei called out to me from inside the warehouse. I could tell that question was a joke.

"Yup. You almost done?" I responded. I looked to my left and with the doors in my sight.

"Just a few more minutes. Won't be too much longer."

"Awesome. Take all the time you need."

As soon as I finished my sentence, on cue, hot metal sliced my right cheek horizontally and zoomed right past me. The hot metal impacted the large stone 25 feet in front of me. The metal cracked the stone and pierced it. I knew right away it was a sniper bullet.

At that moment, I was on full blown alert. The sniper intentionally missed a kill shot and sliced my right cheek just to get my attention. The bullet put a graze on me about a couple inches wide and was dripping blood. The graze was the least of my concerns.

I cautiously approached the stone with my hand ready to grab my pulse rifle at any damn second. The one who shot that sniper bullet was not fucking around. I had a sneaking suspicion who shot at me. I did not want it to be so, but if it was anyone else, I would be dead. The sniper wants something.

I approached the stone and crouched to get a closer look at the bullet. I was right, it was a sniper bullet. I pulled out a padded glove from my bag and pulled the bullet out with the glove on since the metal on the bullet was still hot. The tip was broken off after making impact with the stone. Not many bullets can pierce stone this massive.

I looked the opposite direction and saw a flashing light going off in a series of patterns way off in the distance on top of a massively tall building. I quickly recognized it as morse code. The flashing flights confirmed my suspicion.

" **Your time is needed. Prepare whatever is required and head out. Do not keep us waiting."**

I sighed audibly in annoyance and anger. The ones who were contacting me had the absolute worst timing imaginable. This was not the time nor place to be whisked away and become a human weapon. Yup, that is right, you heard those words correctly. I have made a deal with the devil in the past and have become someone's fucking bitch. The sniper zoomed in on my head shows I am held at gunpoint inches away from death. It is also a safe to assume even if the sniper misses (which almost never happens with this person), one or two people from the same group contacting me are ready to pounce.

Options were severely limited as I stood there thinking a mile a minute. There is no way in hell I am leaving Mei. I promised myself I would become the hero Mei sees me as. These group of jackasses are not exactly giving me the perfect new beginning.

Suddenly, realization hit me hard. On the outside I had to hide all personal emotions from showing otherwise major suspicion will rise and jeopardize my life.

Inside my body, I became worried as hell. The sniper knows Mei is inside. Hell, I am more than willing to bet the whole group knows all about Mei. This began complicating my feelings. Decided what the plan was is the challenging part.

"Damn it all." I whispered. Mei is indirectly being held hostage. They will kill the both of us.

Just thinking about Mei's safety gave me motivation to figure out how to get the fuck out of this damn predicament. Truth was, I may have an idea. The chances of success will be low. It is the only idea I have got so I must make it count. If I am going to die for being an idiot, I might as well do it with style.

I took a good look at my surroundings. I walked back to the entrance of the door as I thought in frustration earlier. The entrance was just 3 feet behind me. The sniper was to my right far out in the horizon, the massive stone the sniper pierced was 25 feet to my left, and some trees nearly 50 feet in front of the warehouse. If I am to initiate the plan and possibly get killed, now would be the time.

Immediately, I turned to my right and showed the sniper who gave me the morse code two middle fingers for a split second and charged into the warehouse.

 _ ***Boom***_

The loud crack in the sky echoed ominously as if it were a cannon once I moved.

* * *

 **Hey there everybody. I am so sorry for this chapter taking so long to be published. Having a bunch of college finals mixed together with self-doubt the chapter is the way I wanted it to be are not a good combination in the slightest. This caused me to rewrite the chapter since I did not like the first version. I am so sorry once again for the long wait.**

 **College finals are finally over so that means the next chapter should be up much quicker. If I had to guess, the next chapter should be up next week, or in two weeks at the latest. It definitely will not take as long, I promise that 100%.**

 **Also, thanks a bunch for the support lately. The favs, follows, and the review helped me feel more confident about my writing in this story. It means a lot that I am doing well. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and future chapters to come. I cannot wait to start writing the next chapter and share it with you all. Again, thanks a bunch.**

 **All constructive criticism is welcome. I am all ears on how to improve. Same goes for DM questions for me. I will always get to your questions ASAP.**

 **Have a good one everyone.**

 **Winter Hawk out**


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